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The present research aims to examine the role of big five personality types in the prediction of decision making styles among university students. Mini-Marker Personality Inventory (McCrae & Costa, 1990) and General Decision Making Styles Questionnaire (Scott & Bruce, 1995) were used for data collection. The sample comprised of 300 university students. Multiple Regression analysis (Enter Method) was applied to analyze the data. Extroversion positively predicted intuitive and spontaneous decision making style. Openness to experience positively predicted intuitive decision making style. Agreeableness positively predicted dependent decision making style. Conscientiousness positively predicted rational decision making style. Neuroticism positively predicted avoidant decision making style. The current research provides an insight in the role of personality in decision making. The present research extends the past research limited to two personality traits (Nygren & White, 2005) based on the big-five trait theory of McCrae and Costa (1990) and suggests the theoretical and practical implications of personality-decision associations in a collectivist culture.
Keywords: Personality types, decision making styles
Dispositional factors play a vital role in decision making styles. Some personality theorists considered decision making as an integral part of the personality. The famous personality psychologist Carl Jung is one of the early scholars whose theory on psychological types provided precious basis for scientific work on decision making styles. Jung (1976) claimed that humans problem solving is based on four functions including sensing, thinking, feeling, and intuition. Keegan (1984) introduced Jung's (1976) typology into management, pioneering psychological contribution to decision making. Similarly, McCrae and Costa (1990) while proposing the big five personality types, considered decision making ability as an integral part of the various personality dimensions.
A good deal of research is evident on the role of various personality dimensions in decision making styles. The well-researched dimensions include innovativeness, self-esteem, locus of control, and social desirability (Scott & Bruce, 1995; Thunholm, 2004). Other dimensions include risk seeking and goal orientation (Barber, 2005; Smith, 2005). Finally, a limited amount of research is available on the role of personality types in the decision making styles (Nygren & White, 2005; Hough & Ogilvie, 2005; Pecjak & Kosir, 2007). Hough and Ogilvie (2005) investigated the association of personality types based on MyersBriggs Type Indicators with rational and intuitive decision making styles. Past research...